Far from the most in-depth review, but here are my thoughts on:
CRASH BANDICOOT
Being the first game in this trilogy, it's both the game that would set up the basic foundation for the other games in this trilogy, as well the roughest one out of them all. N.Sane Trilogy adds a handful of QoL changes to help make the first Crash a better experience overall. Gone is the clunky save system, where you had to find a bonus stage in order to save, which can now be done through the menu. A crate count has been added to easily keep track of the ones you break, and you no longer have to beat a level without dying to get a gem, unless it’s colored, which still adds a nice layer of challenge to the game. Time trial mode also adds a good chunk of extra gameplay in Crash, as you’ll be tested to push levels to their limit, and really does add a significant amount of replayability to these levels. The overall control in the game feels better, although the Z axis feels somewhat wonky when playing the 2D levels, and there are times like in the original where depth perception can really mess up with the 3D platforming. Also, as this is the first game, you won’t be able to do Crash’s more advanced techniques like slide jumping, and while Crash 1 was obviously built around the lack of anything crazy, it certainly still makes the game still dated compared to the first two. Going for 100% in Crash 1 can also turn the game into quite a chore, as it requires a decent amount of backtracking, moreso than Crash 2 and 3, to the point where the game feels like it had to pad out a bit to add extra gameplay hours.
7/10
CRASH BANDICOOT 2: CORTEX STRIKES BACK
Crash 2 must’ve been quite the leap for Naughty Dog back in the day, as it introduced many more features compared it to Crash 1that made it to such a hit classic loved by many. N.Sane Trilogy doesn’t add too much in terms of new gameplay mechanics outside time trial mode and the Crash Dash ability from Crash 3, which again help add a significant amount of replayability for these titles. Crash 2 introduces the slide, which allows for more movement options for Crash, as well as tighter platforming that really tests your button input skills and your reflexes at times. You'll also be tested on managing and mixing up your abilitities, as certain enemies can only be defeated with certain attacks, whether it be the spin, the slide, or an old-fashioned jump on the head. Several extra gimmicks were added to add variety, some of them being great like riding the cute little Polar, or jetpack riding, which was questionable but still quite memorable. The game is also jammed with some ridiculous secrets, some of which you probably won’t discover on your first playthrough unless you’re extremely curious. Overall, the changes from Crash 1, the addition of all these crazy secrets, as well as the Time Trial mode added from N.Sane make this one quite of an an amazing platformer.
9/10
CRASH BANDICOOT: WARPED
Crash 3, originally being made only a year after Crash 2, and using the same engine and assets, practically changes nothing in terms of basic gameplay and control, and yet Naughty Dog was still able to create a slew of new content for this game. The fact N.Sane really doesn’t change anything about 3 outside of the graphics really do show how great this game has aged over the years. While you do have abilities like the slide again, the game won’t really test your ability to diverse your usage of control, as most enemies in Crash 3 can be taken out with a simple spin, unlike Crash 2 where some enemies could only be defeated with a jump or slide. Crash 3 also isn’t as crazy when it comes to secrets, but what it does offer is some pretty great platforming from beginning to end, as well as added abilities, such as the double jump, and death tornado spin. These abilities make Crash even more versatile then he ever was before, and allows him to clear some rather ludicrous platforming challenges Crash wish he could do in the past two games. Crash 3 was the first game to originally to Time Trial mode, and these abilities truly made you test how much you could cut corners in levels, and knowing how to take full advantage of your given tools truly make this an amazing experience. The game is also a bit heavy on the extra modes, with levels that involve scuba diving, airplane fire fights, and racing on a motorcycle. These levels are more apparent than the non-platforming levels in Crash 2, but I never found them intrusive or distracting, and I think they were able to strike a perfect balance of making several different gameplay styles without going overboard. This is overall my favorite of the trilogy and can’t recommend it enough.
"Just for comparison Uncharted 4 was 20x bigger than Splatoon 2. This shows the huge difference between Sony's first-party games and Nintendo's first-party games."
